Customer Reviews

Man Under the Influence

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The tragic irony about Alejandro Escovedo is that he's the greatest contemporary singer songwriter who most people will never hear of. And that's a shame, because he's got tremendous talent, blending all kinds of influences, from Brit rock to Lou Reed to Iggy Pop to folk, but most of all, he gives it an Austin, Texas feel. It's also a sound uniquely his own, although he fits neatly in with the so called "Americana" musicians like Lucinda Williams or The Jayhawks. His music has a beautiful melancholy in it. There's also a very strong undercurrent of Mexican American music, and there should be; he is after all, a Mexican American. It's not the same overt Mexican American flavor exemplified by bands like Los Lobos, however, but instead much more subtle. He has collaborated loosely with the Walter Salas Humara/The Silos bunch over the years. In one of their greatest collaborations, which is now hard to find, since it's long out of print, they call themselves "The Setters...If you can get ahold of this CD, get it. Also, as others have said in reviews of Alejandro, you want to catch him live. Like some of the greatest musicians out there, he's continuously reinventing himself, and each time you see his show, it will have a totally different mood, texture, and atmosphere. I'm not sure there is such a thing as a bad Alejandro Escovedo CD, but this one, and the one before it are without a doubt his most polished.

This CD was a CD of the month at my local Public Radio station (KUNI), and Alejandro was featured on "The World Cafe". Because I had heard a few of the songs on the CD...I was both reluctant and hopeful when I bought the CD. I should not have been reluctant. The CD was enough for me to travel to Minneapolis to see Alejandro in concert. A Man Under the Influence is both masterful and approachable. Masterful enough for my father to enjoy it and approachable enough that my stepson requested that I burn Castanets onto a CD for him.

Escovedo veers wildly over the sonic map from Stonesy rocker to symphonic country ballad to Tex Mex melancholy. What doesn't change is his unerring eye for writing a compelling story - check out "Rosalie." The result is an emotionally resonant disc that seduces you slowly, rewarding with each repeated listening.

Flawless production by Chris Stamey, who also contributes his usual tasteful guitar licks (along with old buddy Mitch Easter).

Alejandro Escovedo is one of the best kept secrets in rock. His sound is a combination of rock, country, folk and pretty much falls through the cracks as a particular genre. Man under the Influence is his best CD to date and that is saying something. This is a masterpiece, one of the best of the year. Escovedo's lyrics are dark and very autobiographical. His voice is distinctive as his songs, however it is the arrangements and production that make him so good. No one uses cello, violin, and pedal steel as intuitively as Escovedo. Your kids will not like this, this is rock and roll for adults. If you are looking for some musical adventure, look no further - Man Under the Influence is it.

Don't listen to the negative reviews here. This is a major work from a relatively obscure artist. The production on this is great and the songwriting is first rate. It is one of the best Bloodshot releases ever (and they have lots of very good ones), so everyone should buy a copy of this and enjoy. If you like singer/songwriter type music this is the best of this genre so far this year and maybe for the entire year. Alejandro is a great live performer and has hit is stride with this album despite (or maybe because of)his long career. Pick this up and you will not be disappointed.

"These songs are for you..." Alejandro Escovedo closes out his dedication to his sister Alice, in 'A Man Under the Influence', and truth be told, these songs feel as if they are written for and sung to each and everyone of us individually.

Alejandro Escovedo is one songwriter and musician that I was fortunate to run into not too long ago, one who magically manages to seamlessly blend influences from folk, rock & roll, punk, country and texmex music. After learning about him, this album, with all its "dia de los muertos" motif instantly captured my attention: gladly I later found out most of his fans consider it to be his best production to date. To me the 11-song was like a book consisting of two intertwined chapters, somewhat (and two very solid chapters, for the matter). From the opening chord of "Wave", into the contagious "Rosalie", the first chapter is mostly straight-up rock 'n roll with songs that equally borrow from The Beatles in their early years or Los Lobos, while still retaining a uniqueness that makes them refreshing, making you want to listen to them over and over again.

The other chapter of the album shows a far more personal side of Escovedo, with "Across The River", "Velvet Guitar" (a very Tom Petty-like tune), the intimate "Don't Need You" and the closing "About This Love" making you wonder: what on earth are we listening to these days, when a guy like Alejandro Escovedo is far from being well known? (to the point on depending on his friend's and fan's help to get back on his feet after collapsing in April 2003 -you can also help him by going to http://www.alejandrofund.com/)

I knew nothing of Escovedo and bought this album only because I had heard "Rosalie" two or three times on the radio and wanted to hear more from the singer of this achingly beautiful song. I was not disappointed. In fact, I've played the album again and again since my purchase, hearing something new and poetic and meaningful each time. I'm eager to explore more of Escovedo's work.

I'm getting married in July, and was amazed to find out that my fiance (who doesn't really dig my music that often) had listened to "Wedding Day" alone - cried, knew it was the song we should dance to in front of everyone who's ever been important to us. I had felt the same way when I first heard it alone and, despite the fact that it certainly isn't even the strongest song on the CD, formed a permanent emotional tie with "Wedding Day", as with the rest of the music. Escovedo is simply one of the most fascinating and talented artists I have heard in a long time. As someone who despite my best efforts finds the great majority of popular music as shallow as spilt cheap beer, I find continuous relief in the beautiful, resonating and deeply moving work of people like this guy. It's not necessarily life-changing or revolutionary work, but the lovely simplicity of even the hardest songs do start to feel life-sustaining as they become more and more familiar. I can't imagine that, once found, anybody could ever forget or become bored with this music, and it will be a privilege to share it with others - on a day as mind-blowingly perfect as the day I take my wife.

I know how it goes... You can pull up Amazon.com reviews of almost anybody, and no matter who the artist is, the average fan gives 'em 4 or 5 stars for every CD they ever released. So it's hard to find any true meaning in these words... but "Man Under The Influence" is a beautiful piece of work. Picking up on the live sound and organic feel of "Bourbonitis Blues," "Influence" is a killer new collection of original material from Alejandro. It's the sound of a great songwriter, a great band, and a smart producer coming together. They nail it on this one... a perfect mix of sound and songs. I can't imagine loving an album more than this in 2001.

After hearing this cd the first time, I felt a little ho hum about it. But just like all of Escovedo's past albums, the second and third listens proved to be the winner. There are a few songs here that naturally jump out at you, like RHAPSODY, VELVET GUITAR, AND CASTANETS. All of which have a heavier rock beat to them than the rest of the album. But the songs that really sneak up on you and demand repeated listenings is the album opener WAVE. ACROSS THE RIVER, which has some very contagious acoustic guitar lines. And AS I FALL, which features some nice cello work and backup vocals courtesy of Ryan Adams of Whiskeytown. I haven't had this album for very long, but the more spins it gets, the more stars it accumulates. Right now it's up to 4, and it's not leaving my cd changer anytime soon. Indulge yourself with this one, and discover some true Texas songwriting talent.